The Lamentations of Isis and Nephtys

Marion Servat-Fredericq, Project Assistant Curator Antiquities tells us about a recent visit to World Museum:
‘Dr Andrea Kucharek, an Egyptologist at Heidelberg University in
Germany, visited World Museum recently to take a closer look at an
Egyptian papyrus from our collection (Papyrus Mayer M11190). Dr Kucharek
is currently working on the publication of this papyrus which bears a
religious text from the Ptolemaic Period (332 –30 BC) known as “The
Lamentations of Isis and Nephtys”. Papyrus
M11190 is the last page of the whole manuscript. One of the four
remaining pages is held in the Bodleian Libraries at the University of
Oxford, and three others are in the British Museum in London. Dr
Kucharek recently travelled to Oxford, London and, at last, Liverpool to
study the papyrus in its entirety. It was very interesting to listen to
Dr Kucharek share her knowledge of the papyrus that she is about to
publish and a fantastic opportunity for me to learn more about this
object.

Osiris ruler of the underworld attended by Isis and Nephtys

“The Lamentations of Isis and Nephtys” are a series of religious
liturgies or songs addressed to the god of the dead Osiris by his two
sisters Isis and Nephtys. The lamentations form part of the ritual of
the Osiris mysteries which was performed in temples on particular
occasions to celebrate the life of Osiris and his resurrection after
death. On the copies of the Lamentations which have survived, a
postscript at the end of the songs usually gives instructions about the
performance of the ritual. The instructions tell us that two women
impersonated Isis and Nephtys during the ceremony: “[they] shall be made
to sit on the ground at the main portal of the Hall of Appearings. On
their arms shall be written the names of Isis and Nephthys. Jars of
faience filled with water shall be placed in their right hands, offering
loaves made in Memphis in their left hands, and their faces shall be
bowed.” (translation by Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature:
The Late Period, III, p. 120).
Papyrus M11190 belonged to a man named Pawerem, son of Kiki, a
well-known individual of the period who owned several other liturgical
papyri. Many private individuals liked to be buried with copies of the
Lamentations, as by doing so, they believed they were equipped with the
necessary means to be reborn in the Afterlife like Osiris. The most
peculiar thing about this last page of the whole papyrus is that, when
the scribe finished writing the Lamentations, he copied the end of the
text again, possibly in an attempt to fill in the remaining blank space
on the sheet. The papyrus will feature in our new Ancient Egypt
galleries.’
The Ancient world gallery, which displays highlights from our ancient
Egyptian, ancient Greek, Anglo-Saxon and Roman collections, is now
closed until autumn 2016. It is closed to the public as the building
works have now begun on an exciting new project to develop our ancient Egypt gallery.